Believers and collectors find new uses for crystals

Manhattan Businessman Richard Perl, 29, has a morning ritual. After dressing, he drops a small crystal into his pocket to enhance his concentration and aid + him in contract negotiations during his workday. Andrea Cagan, 38, a Los Angeles physical therapist, follows an evening routine: she slips a sliver of rose quartz under her pillow to help her sleep peacefully.

Perl and Cagan are among the growing number of Americans, many of them under 40, who are tuning in to "crystal consciousness," the pseudoscientific belief that such natural gemstones as quartz crystal, citrine, tourmaline and amethyst have paranormal healing and restorative...